Author: Special Correspondent
Publication: The Hindu
Date: August 13, 2008
URL: http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/13/stories/2008081357401200.htm
The Army has claimed that it was ensuring
the movement of vehicles on the Srinagar-Jammu highway for over a week. Ever
since troops were deployed on the only direct surface link with the Kashmir
Valley on August 4, there had been "smooth movement" of petrol tankers
and trucks carrying fruits and essential commodities, it said.
It had escorted nearly 4,000 loaded trucks
in both directions as also thousands of light vehicles and hundreds of oil
tankers over the past eight days, the Army claimed.
"The sincere and constant work of the
Army under a tense situation has ensured regular movement of supplies on National
Highway 1A," said an Army spokesperson.
On the gunning down of three civilians in
the Valley by troops of the Rashtriya Rifles, the spokesperson said minimum
firing was resorted to after all warnings to stop a 4,000-strong mob failed.
The crowd began attacking a Rashtriya Rifles post about 120 km from Srinagar
when the troops opened "minimum" fire in the presence of police
and civilian officers. The crowd dissipated after troops "fired to effect."
The police were now handling the situation, he added.
